J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, chef and partner at Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus, poses for a photograph at Wursthall with a Saison Dupont beer in San Mateo, Calif., on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, far right, chef and partner at Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus, and Adam Simpson, owner-operator, welcome a line of customers at the entrance of their restaurant just after 5:00 p.m. in San Mateo, Calif., on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

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A cookbook titled "The Food Lab; Better Home Cooking Through Science" by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, chef and partner at Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus, on display at Wursthall in San Mateo, Calif., on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, far right, chef and partner at Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus, and Adam Simpson, left, owner-operator, welcome customers at the entrance of their restaurant just after 5:00 p.m. in San Mateo, Calif., on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, chef and partner at Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus, poses for a photograph in the open kitchen at Wursthall in San Mateo, Calif., on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

He was a chef with an international reputation, but no restaurant to his credit.

Until now.

When Peninsula resident J. Kenji López-Alt opened his highly anticipated Wursthall restaurant and bierhaus in downtown San Mateo on March 12, it was the first such enterprise for the self-described “culinary nerd,” a SeriousEats.com consultant who has made a career of perfecting recipes for the home cook — from pressure-cooker chile verde to 30-minute risotto. His first book, “The Food Lab,” won the James Beard award for cookbook of the year in 2016.

Lopez-Alt and partners Adam Simpson and Tyson Mao, of San Mateo’s Grape & Grain bar, decided to diversify the city’s dining scene with German beer hall-inspired food and ambiance. They renovated the interior of one of downtown’s architectural gems, the historic building that for years was home to Ristorante Capellini.

The grand opening came after months of pop-ups and test dinners. We attended a media preview night to get a sneak peek — and we paid, of course, for our dinner, as we always do. Here’s what we saw:

THE VIBE: Imagine a German beer hall redone for Silicon Valley. Illuminated by strings of Edison-style lights, the huge space has a streamlined, minimalist look with long beer-hall tables and benches (designed by Oakland’s Arcsine and millworker Peter Doolittle). And the walls are free of adornment — not a decorative beer stein or Bavarian landscape in sight. With such high ceilings, the noise level on a busy night could rival an Oktoberfest. However, López-Alt has a quiet alternative planned: He’s building out a basement Wunderbar as a speakeasy-style space for craft cocktails and conversation.

THE FOOD: López-Alt has fine-tuned the recipes, from the currywurst with blackened ginger curry, sausage and crisp potatoes ($9) to the chicken schnitzel ($15) that’s brined first in sauerkraut, and the house potato salad (served with wursts) in a mustard-vinegar-red onion dressing.

All wursts and sandwiches ($13-$19) come with that irresistible potato salad, a refreshing side of lightly dressed greens with radishes and a wurst topping, such as sauerkraut, grilled onions or a relish of speck and cherry peppers.

One soup ($9) and one dessert ($7) are offered, and both involve pumpkin seeds. Turns out pumpkins and pumpkin seeds are hugely popular in Austria and southern Germany these days, López-Alt explained. He’s even importing roasted pumpkin-seed oil from there.

On tap: Two dozen NorCal and European beers, plus a few revolving taps. This week’s lineup includes a peanut butter stout, a tropical fruited sour and a horchata-inspired blonde ale.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT: Wursthall is an “open service” restaurant, which means any server in the place can take and deliver your order, and they’ll share the work busing tables, too. Tips will be pooled. There’s also a no-cash policy, so bring your credit or debit card.

PERFECT FOR … An after-work beer with snacks or a foodie meet-up. A children’s corner will make families feel welcome.

DETAILS: Open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight at 310 Baldwin Ave., at North B Street, San Mateo. Lunch hours will be added later. www.wursthall.com.